Most of Walt Disney World’s restaurants take dining reservations — even casual, affordable restaurants that are designed for guests of all ages. Without a reservation, it’s very likely that you’ll be turned away. Some will take walk-in guests who are willing to wait… but those waits can stretch beyond an hour. No fun, especially when you’re hungry.

Dining reservations are free to make* and free to cancel, so it’s smart to book even more than you think you might need.

MOST POPULAR RESTAURANTS

By and large, these are the reservations that are most difficult to get. We’ll list them in alphabetical order and share a few details about why they’re so popular.

• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall | Inside EPCOT | A Norwegian-inspired family-style feast with table-side visits from numerous Disney princesses. | Why it’s so popular: for now, it’s the only character dining with numerous princesses like Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Mulan, Tiana, and Rapunzel.

• Be Our Guest | Inside Magic Kingdom | A French restaurant located inside the Beast’s castle. | Why it’s so popular: the ballroom, complete with golden, sparking chandeliers, feels like you’ve stepped into the beloved film. The Beast hosts a photo-op at the entrance, and the food’s pretty good, too.

• California Grill | Inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort | A California fusion restaurant on the top floor of the hotel that’s closest to the Magic Kingdom. | Why it’s so popular: the cooking is excellent, and all diners are free to step outside on a private terrace for a birds-eye view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks.

• Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ | Disney Springs | Affordable, nearly perfect American southern comfort food, with exemplary fried chicken and the best brunch at Walt Disney World. | Why it’s so popular: Art Smith was once Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef, and once you taste how good his recipes are, you’ll understand why.

• Chef Mickey’s | Inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort | A huge American buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with character appearances. | Why it’s so popular: it’s very close to Magic Kingdom and it features the “fab 5” characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto.

• Cinderella’s Royal Table*  | Inside Magic Kingdom | An upscale restaurant located inside Cinderella Castle serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. | Why it’s so popular: it’s undeniably romantic, especially at dinner, and includes an audience with Cinderella herself.

• Jaleo | Disney Springs | Upscale Spanish tapas  — all delicious — and an impeccable Spanish wine list in a stylish, vibrant space that’s inviting and never intimidating. According to guest satisfaction ratings, this is the top-ranked restaurant in all of Walt Disney World. | Why it’s so popular: chef José Andrés is one of the most famous celebrity chefs in the USA, and his numerous restaurants across the globe enjoy great acclaim. He’s achieved two Michelin stars and numerous James Beard awards. His generous philanthropy with his World Central Kitchen placed him on Time magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people and earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

• Oga’s Cantina | Inside Hollywood Studios | A bar serving photogenic, artfully prepared space-age cocktails in a setting reminiscent of the famous cantina from Star Wars Episode 4, “A New Hope.” | Why it’s so popular: it feels very old-school Star Wars. The setting and the drinks are Instagram-worthy.

• ‘Ohana | Inside Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort | A family-style restaurant serving American food for breakfast and Polynesian grilled meats & noodles for dinner. | Why it’s so popular: the atmosphere is warm & convivial, it’s near Magic Kingdom, and breakfast delights with character interactions with Lilo, Stitch, Pluto & Mickey Mouse.

• Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater | Inside Hollywood Studios | A terrifically-themed American comfort food restaurant where diners sit in cars, parked at a drive-in movie theater under a starlit sky, watching clips from comical B-movie sci-fi thrillers and 1950’s “News from the Future” newsreels. | Why it’s so popular: the concept is zany and fun, the food’s pretty good, and the atmosphere is kooky and unique.

• Space 220 | Inside EPCOT | A highly-styled restaurant serving lunch and dinner within a futuristic room that’s designed as if you’re onboard a space station. Huge “windows” gaze out into the vastness of space, 220 miles above Earth. | Why it’s so popular: it’s one of the newest restaurants on property; many are curious to try the new spot. Among those who have dined, reviews of the food are notably mixed.

• Story Book Dining at Artist’s Point | Inside Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort | Meet Snow White, the Evil Queen, Dopey, and Grumpy in a sparkling tree-filled dining room serving a delicious pre-fixe European dinner. | Why it’s so popular: the cuisine is easily the most creative character dinner on property, and the setting is charming.

• Topolino’s Terrace | Inside Disney’s Riviera Resort | A rooftop restaurant serving a cooked-to-order breakfast with characters and excellent Italian food for dinner. | Why it’s so popular: it’s got the tastiest, best-prepared cuisine of all the character breakfasts. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy appear in beguiling costumes as if they’re touring the Riviera. The Italian menu at dinner is a bit pricey but the elegant room feels celebratory and splurge-worthy.

• Via Napoli | Inside EPCOT | A large Italian food hall serving freshly baked pizzas from a wood-fired oven and homemade pasta specialties. | Why it’s so popular: many guests don’t have easy access to Italian food that’s this fresh and delicious, and guests of all ages find something to love here. The kid-friendly atmosphere is boisterous and buzzy.

• Victoria & Albert’s  | Inside Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa  | The premiere restaurant at Walt Disney World, a formal-attire multi-course dinner that aims to serve one of the best meals you’ve ever had. The pre-fixe menu starts at $295 per person, which does not include wine, tax, or gratuity. Exclusively for guests aged 10 and above. | Why it’s so popular:  wedding proposals, honeymoons, anniversaries, and special occasions happen here every evening. Most guests treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and they dress up accordingly.

• Yak & Yeti  | Inside Animal Kingdom  | An exceptionally tasty tour of East Asia, featuring a fusion menu that combines flavors from Japan, Thailand, China, Vietnam and beyond. | Why it’s so popular:  it’s some of the most delicious Asian cuisine in all of Walt Disney World. Even young kids and fussy eaters find something to love here, and the cocktails & desserts are phenomenal.

See below: Savor the Savannah and the various dessert parties are noted under Popular Experiences, below.

HOW TO BOOK WALT DISNEY WORLD RESTAURANTS

All Walt Disney World dining can be booked via the MyDisneyExperience website or smartphone app.  You may also call 1.407.WDW-DINE (939-3463), but the wait to speak to a representative is often long. If at all possible, rely on the website / smartphone app.

Which restaurants accept reservations? | Those that Disney designates as Table Service restaurants accept reservations. For Quick Service or Kiosks, you’ll simply walk up and order.

Does it cost money to book dining?  | You must provide a credit card number as a guarantee when you book any dining reservations, but Disney doesn’t charge your card — except *Cinderella’s Royal Table, where you prepay for the meal when you make the booking. (You may still cancel up to midnight the day before your reservation for a full refund.) A handful of other experiences like dining shows & dessert parties are also prepaid.

Are there cancellation fees? | It’s easy (and free) to cancel any dining reservations up until two hours before your reservation. However, if you do not cancel your reservation (or modify it to a different date) and you fail to arrive at the restaurant by the end of their service hours, Disney may charge a no-show fee of $10 per guest. To avoid this fee, it’s easiest to modify your reservation to a future date and then cancel it. Or, if you’re near the restaurant, simply speak to the podium host and politely explain why you won’t be able to dine.  Cast Members are understanding.

What happens if we arrive late for our reservation? Do they give our table away? | Disney is much more accommodating than a typical busy restaurant in the real world. Sudden thunderstorms, kid meltdowns and attraction breakdowns are common, and — especially in the theme parks — these restaurants are designed for such high-capacity that it’s not difficult to accommodate latecomers. It’s better to arrive very late than to not show up at all and risk a no-show fee. Similarly, if you’re quite early, many restaurants will be able to seat you after a short (5-10 minute) wait. Please note one exception: Cinderella’s Royal Table can rarely accommodate early arrivals;  latecomers might not be seated, especially if you’re a party of 6 guests or more.

Who can reserve dining? | Anyone can make a dining reservation. You do not need to already have your theme park ticket or hotel booking to make a dining reservation. Any guest may dine at a resort hotel restaurant; you don’t need to be staying at that hotel. However, if you want to eat at a restaurant inside a theme park, you’ll need to enter the park with a valid theme park ticket / Park Pass reservation. You may book reservations for all the members of your party or just a portion, but to make it easy to view all your plans, it’s best if the Lead Guest on any Disney Resort Hotel reservation also books all the dining under their own account. Also, your dining reservations are unaffected by a Disney Dining Plan.

When do reservations become available to Disney resort hotel guests? | If you’ve linked a confirmed hotel reservation in a Walt Disney World resort hotel — all hotels owned and managed by Disney, plus the Four Seasons and the Dolphin / Swan / Swan Reserve — you may reserve your dining 60 days before your arrival day, plus all the days of your reservation (up to 10 days).  On the web / smartphone app, each new day’s reservations become available at 6:00 AM Eastern Time. Over the phone, representatives begin answering calls at 7 AM Eastern.

When do reservations become available to the general public? | For those who are not staying in one of the participating Disney resort hotels, dining reservations become available 60 days in advance. As above, on the web / smartphone app, each new day’s reservations become available at 6:00 AM Eastern Time. Over the phone, representatives begin answering calls at 7 AM Eastern. But please take note: because Disney resort guests have advance access, many of the most popular restaurants listed above will be fully booked before they become available to the general public. It’s a major perk for staying on Disney property. Want to move your reservation? Get in touch. We can help.

How can we get last-minute reservations? Can we just show up and ask for a table? |  It’s recently gotten much easier to get last-minute tables, now that Disney’s extended the window to cancel a reservation to just 2 hours beforehand. For breakfast reservations, look online the night before — between 11 PM and midnight. You’ll often find a new treasure trove of early tables that sleepyheads have just cancelled. For same-day tables, it’s smart to open the app, check dining, select today’s date, and then view the current availability & estimated wait time for walk-up lists. For most restaurants, you’ll need to be physically nearby to join the list. Take note: outside peak lunch or dinner hours, some restaurants will be able to seat you even if the app shows no availability, so if you’re nearby, it never hurts to physically walk up to the restaurant and ask.

A helpful tip: if you’re having trouble finding a table for your party, increase your party size to 4 or 6 guests. It’s no trouble to reduce your actual party size when you check in at the restaurant. Similarly, if your party has an extra guest or two, the restaurant host can usually make adjustments to accommodate you all.

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